Not As Bland or Predictable As You'd Think

My girlfriend and I saw Salt this weekend. Granted, it was only after we couldn't find anything we wanted to watch specifically, and my girlfriend reluctantly acquired it... albeit only at the risk of losing 90-120 minutes of life time watching the movie, like any other. Although I had heard of the general premise of the movie, and the oddly-timed Russian sleeper agent spy operation uncovered around the time of the film's release in theaters... another action movie starring a frail-looking, (slowly) aging Angelina Jolie. It didn't look all that interesting or out of the ordinary.

Both my girlfriend and I, at different times, even thought the Anna Chapman incident was actually a publicity stunt specifically designed to promote this movie. Ten people described as sleeper agents, part of the "Illegals Program" of long-term, deep cover Russian agents were apprehended on June 27, 2010 -- Salt opened four days earlier in North America. The title character, employed at the CIA, is accused of actually being a Soviet/Russian sleeper agent towards the beginning of the movie, after having been taken captive and recovered from North Korea some time earlier.

Jolie at the premiere of Salt

I'm actually a fan of female protagonists, and welcome them in action movies, as long as there is a realistic portrayal of their bodies. In other words, if there's a person of either gender who's able to participate in fight scenes, jump to and land on vehicles travelling at freeway speeds, and survive car crashes without wearing seat belts, he or she she should look like he or she can handle said stuff. Having a good amount of muscle or wearing some sort of protective gear would make the movie more realistic. Even Tobey Maquire's ability to get his ass kicked, swing around New York and get thrown around repeatedly as Spiderman is excused by his spider strength and agility. The idea of spindly Jolie easily kicking the asses of trained police officers and/or CIA and secret service agents isn't easily digestible. As in many movies, there are scenes when she basically knocks various people down and out with one punch or kick, and even with a backhand toss of a pistol to the head. As far as I can remember, she was always dressed in long sleeves during the action or fight sequences -- possibly to hide her small arms. Yeah, she looks cool. Can she kick someone's ass? Probably not.

I'm completely aware of the fact that many people are drawn to small, anorexic women, and being a thin man, I can't judge anyone for their bodies or their preferences in people they're attracted to. As stated above, I think female characters doing damage and being portrayed as strong is also a good thing, and I like it. However,  I think it's fair to say that women with enough muscle to kick someone's ass are sometimes thought of as masculine or manly, which I think sucks. You can't have a badass character without giving that character an equally badass physique. To not do that is "disingenuous."

Aside from that one implausible aspect, Salt is pretty entertaining and unpredictable, especially if you like espionage and chase/action scenes that aren't over-the-top. I don't specifically remember any explosions, cheesy lines, or other trademarks of typical action movies. Unless you're an expert on CIA activities, the human body, or Russia, Salt will probably not set off your Ridiculous Premise Alarm so often felt consciously or subconsciously when attempting to take serious action thrillers seriously, and the similarity to the Russian spy scandal makes it eerily realistic.